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Back pain specialists are calling for a review of the weights youngsters are being asked to carry on their backs each day.

Sean McDougall, of BackCare, said the problem is a ‘healthcare timebomb’ that is leading to years of misery in later life.

‘If children are getting back pain so young then there is the potential they will have it for the next 70 to 80 years, which leads to an enormous physical and emotional cost,’ he said.

Some school bags can weigh an incredible two stone

‘Children’s skeletons are still growing so carrying heavy bags can cause lasting damage.

‘Many are carrying their bags on one shoulder or are increasingly carrying them on the crook of their elbow, so are placing a great strain on the spine.

‘A lot of the bags being used are bulky sports bags, which are twice the size of backpacks used a decade ago.

‘If children have bigger bags then they tend to fill them. Add on sports equipment, musical instruments and heavy wet weather clothes and children are totally overloaded.

‘We are seeing children carrying up to a quarter of their body weight around, which would never be allowed if you were an adult.’

He added: ‘Back problems are becoming an increasing issue among schoolchildren and schools no longer have adequate desk space for pupils to store heavy books. We need to have an urgent overview of this issue.’

Parents are being urged to keep an eye on children’s backpacks so that they do not cause problems for their health when they are older.

Mr McDougall said: ‘Parents should insist that their children pack their bags only with what they need for the next day and ensure that they are worn on both shoulders.’

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Heavy school bags are 'deforming' children as growing numbers suffer irreversible back problems